Police in the City of Kigali have foiled a scam involving a ring that attempted to defraud a local businessman of millions of money in the name of helping him win tenders.

Police investigations indicate that one Jacques Singirankabo, on September 21, called his longtime friend and an entrepreneur in Nyagatare District identified as Emmanuel Nzaramyimana, to sell him an idea of two lucrative tenders – to supply clothes to Caritas Rwanda and food for mountain gorillas.

Both were ghost tenders that never existed.

This prompted Nzaramyimana to travel to Kigali later in the day to finalise the two deals, and met Singirankabo in Nyamirambo, a Kigali suburb.

"Singirankabo told Nzaramyimana that Caritas wanted 1600 trousers, 1800 sweaters and jackets, 1600 shirts and 1600 T-shirts – delivered within four days,” said Supt. Emmanuel Hitayezu, police spokesperson for the City of Kigali.

The clothes were apparently meant to be donated to about 800 selected vulnerable people in the country.

"The second deal was to supply food for mountain gorillas where he was required to pay Rwf3 million for the raw material that was supposedly to be taken to Europe for processing and that he was to get Rwf25 million for each kilogramme he supplied,” he added.

How it was foiled

On smelling a rat, Nzaramyimana tipped police in Nyamirambo, who went with him to Nyabugogo posing as colleagues to Nzaramyimana. The deals were supposed to be finalized there.

Singirankabo and one of his accomplices identified as Francois Bakina were arrested red-handed as they tried to get the money from the would-be victim.

Meanwhile, police is also looking for two other unidentified men connected to the ring, who are still at large.

"People should be carefull,  tenders are not awarded or discussed on streets. The shortest routes could be the quickest way to lose even what you have,” Supt. Hitayezu said.

The would-be victim was likely to lose about Rwf7 million, if the ghost deal had been brokered, according to investigations.

"People should always verify with the office or institution responsible to award such tenders to prevent falling prey to fraudsters. If you suspect anything unusual, inform police because its their work to investigate and authenticate the truth of the matter instead of blindly investing your money in something you are not certain of,” Hitayezu said.

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